Do you have an addiction that's messing up your life? Perhaps you've had some serious consequences that resulted from a behavior you're unable to stop. If so, you're probably feeling trapped and helpless. All of us have activities we engage in that we know do nothing to enhance our lives, even if they don't cause harm.
Whether your addictions are serious or silly doesn't matter. If you want to get rid of them, there are actions you can take. Many people have let go of addictions, and you can too. Often you can change your behavior by yourself, but with serious addictions, you'll have a better chance of success if you work with others.
The "one day at a time" concept has been used to help many to overcome addictions from alcohol to online gaming. A principle of all twelve-step programs, the "one day at a time" strategy means that you only have to give up an addictive activity for today. Once you've liberated yourself from the behavior for 24 hours, you repeat the process.
There's something about success that creates more success. Once we learn that we can function for 24 hours without an addiction, we're usually pleasantly surprised and we understand that, if we can get through one day without it, we might be able to soldier through another.
Sometimes this principle must be broken down into "one hour at a time," or even "one minute at a time." In the early stages of giving up a habit, the idea of getting through an entire day without it may seem impossible and overwhelming. That's when the practice of simply getting through an hour without it can be very helpful.
The strategy of "one day at a time" can be used over and over. In the event you "fall off the horse" and have a slip, you can always get back on track by reverting to "just for today," "just for the rest of today," or "just for the next hour." This practice alone is enough to help many people overcome minor and harmless addictions, simply by returning to the practice of giving it up for short periods again and again.
With harmless but enjoyable addictions like TV, you can limit yourself to one hour per day as a reward, instead of watching it for five hours every night. You may not want to let the habit go altogether, but you can still learn to be moderate.
For more serious addictions, you can use this practice in conjunction with rehab and treatment. In fact, if you're involved in any kind of addictions program, you'll hear the words often enough. The phrase was immortalized in the Sandra Bullock film, "28 Days," in which her character quipped, "One day at a time? What's wrong with 2-3 days at a time?" As any recovering addict will tell you, it just doesn't seem to work as well.
